Photo: The original uploader was Antandrus at English Wikipedia. · CC BY-SA 3.0Maricopa reaches 100° on about 34 days a year, more than 98% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 97°, a January night drops to 38°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Maricopa at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Maricopa’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Maricopa’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Maricopa feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 330 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by January 24 and the first by December 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Taft, CA, 7 miles from the town’s center, 210 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Maricopa’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 28°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 6 inches of rain a year
March is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 42 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.2" in a normal year at Taft, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Maricopa
47% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Taft, CA.
Living with Maricopa’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
330 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Jan 24 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, May, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Maricopa from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (85%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Maricopa and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Maricopa yet.
Climates most like Maricopa’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maricopa, CA | 38° | 97° | 6" | 0.2" |
| Green Valley, AZ | 36° | 97° | 13" | 0.1" |
| Canutillo, TX | 32° | 96° | 9" | 0.0" |
| Sunland Park, NM | 32° | 96° | 9" | 2.0" |
| Ivins, UT | 32° | 100° | 11" | 1.2" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Maricopa averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.4°).
A bigger shift than in 72% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Maricopa compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Maricopa’s place among California’s.
Maricopa weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Maricopa’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Taft, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60° | 38° | 1.1" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| February | 65° | 41° | 1.2" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 59° |
| March | 70° | 44° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| April | 76° | 47° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| May | 83° | 53° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 60° – 75° |
| June | 91° | 59° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| July | 97° | 64° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 76° – 85° |
| August | 96° | 63° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| September | 91° | 59° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| October | 81° | 51° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| November | 69° | 42° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| December | 60° | 37° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 46° – 52° |
| Year | 78° | 50° | 5.8" | 0.2" | 42 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 60° to 75°. December is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Maricopa’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Maricopa’s center.
- Snow: Taft, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Taft, CA, 7 miles from the town’s center, 210 ft lower; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Maricopa’s climate
What is the weather like in Maricopa?
A typical July afternoon reaches 97°, a January night drops to 38°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Maricopa in winter?
December nights average 37°. About 7 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 46°.
How much snow does Maricopa get?
About 0.2 inches in a normal winter at Taft, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Maricopa?
July, with a typical high of 97° and a low of 64°. About 113 days a year reach 90° and 34 reach 100° (Taft, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Maricopa?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by January 24 and the first fall frost by December 17, about 330 frost-free days, at Taft, CA.
What growing zone is Maricopa in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 28°.
What is the best time of year to visit Maricopa?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Maricopa getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Maricopa.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.